Alarm mechanism



Sept. '1927.

3 Sheets-Sheet l 1 Filed April 26, 1925 Sept. 6, 1927.

Filed April 26, '1925 3 eets-Sheet 2 Z66 H5597" 5r? S p A. c. Rowuv I ALARM MECHANISM Filed April 26. 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 NM A vi rne ye.

Patented Sept. 6, 1927.

warren/ stares PATENT orrice.

aarrrnn c. ROWLEY, or PI-II'LADELFI-IIA, rnrmsvrvenra, Assrenon T GLOBE AUTO- MAT-1C SPRINKLER COMPANY, or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPQLRA- TION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

' ALARIYIJMEGHANISM.

Application filedApril as, 1923. Serial No. 634,900.

This invention relates to an apparatus for giving an alarm when there is such a flow ofwater in tt'file extinguishing system as would be caused by the opening of one or thelpressure or of variations in fthe'presa' sure, of the water in the system.

Another object of the invention is to'provide an alarm mechanism so constructed and assembled as to prevent false alarms such as have hitherto beenfcaused by chattering or oscillation of the alarm valve clapper due to water hammer orother pressure variations in the fire extinguishing system. A further object of my invention'isto provide a novel combination'of mechanism whereby an alarm device will be actuated only after the clapper of the alarm valve has remained open for a predeterminedtime, and the invention more especially contemplates a novel form of alarm-controlling device whose operation is governed by the alarm valve 'insuchman'ner that said device willv permit or, cause operation of one or more alarm mechanisms only after the alarm valve has remained open for a definite time. These objects and other advantageous ends I attain as hereinafter set forth, reference being had totheaccompanying drawings in which,

Figs. land 2 arerespectively a plan and an end elevation of the apparatus constituting my invention; and, h

Fig. 3 is a side elevation, partly in vertical section on the line 33,-Fig. 1, further illustrating the invention. a a

'In the above drawings, 1 represents an alarm valve designed for connection in. the main water supply pipe of an automatic fire extinguishing system and this includes a casingin which is mounted a' normally closed valve or clapper indicated in dotted lines at 2. This alarm valve casing is connected with a controlling or relay device 3 by two'conduits 4: and 5,-of which the first is connected to thelower part of said alarm valveso that it; is always supplied with water under the pressure of that in thefire extinguishing system. The second conduit 5 1s connected to the upper part of the alarm valve casing and bysuit-able means in-the formof a valve 2* operatively associated with the" alarm valve clapper 2, is normally kept closed, so that as long as said clapper is closed, no water can be supplied to it. Opening of the clapper, however, will cause opening to the entrance of this conduit and flow of water thereinto. a

The controller 3 consists of 'a suitable casii'i'g having three chambers 6, 7 and 8, into the first of which-isconnected the conduit 4, while the conduit 5 enters the chamber8.*Betweenthe chambersfi and 7 is a partition having an opening 13 which may be closed by a valve 9 when this i's-in its upper position. 'VVhen in its lower posi- 'tion,sa'1d valve will open the passage 13 through the partition and close the inlet from the conduit 4. The 'valve' 9 is carried on a stem lO whic'h extends into the chamber 8 where it is connected to a corrugated or other suitable form of diaphragm 11 which inthepresent instance is provided by a syl'phon bellows. 'By' means of a spring 12 acting on said diaphragm and stem 10, the valve -9 is normally kept seated to cut 'off the communication between the chambers 6 and 7. l The conduit 5 opens into the chamber 8 above the diaphragm 11, so that when the'water under pressure is delivered through said conduit, said diaphragm is forced down against the action of the spring '12, causing the valve 9 to close the inlet from the conduit 4 and open the passage '13 between the chambers'G and 7.

The chamber 7 has connected to it a conduit 14 leading to a suitable drain or point of discharge and the diaphragm, 11 is perforated so that any water which might otherlwise accumulate above it-in the chamber 8, 1S free to flow 1nto the lower part of said charged into thedrain without actuating'the ill (ill

controller. The chamber 6 of the latter, through a pipe 18, is connected to a lower part of a casing 19, across whose upper part mounted a movable wall in the form of a diaphragm 20, also preferably of the sylphon bellows type, from which there is hung a rod 21 carrying an opentopped bucket or cup 22. The pa t of the casing 19 above the diaphragm or wall 20 is connected to the drain pipe 1 1, so that as long as the valve 9 is in its upper position, water under pressure is delivered through the pipe t, chamber 6 and pipe 18 to the casing 19, which with the bucket 22 is therefore normally tilled.

Mounted on the casing 19, and in the present instance formed as part thereof, are two chambers 23 and 2-1, the first of which, through a pipe 25 connected to any suitable form of alarm device such as a water motor gong (not shonn). Between the chamber 23 and 2st is an opening 26 normally closed by a valve 27 and the latter chamber is normally lilled with water from the tire extinguishing system, supplied through the conduit 4..

Mounted in the chamber 23 is a lever having one arm fastened to a spindle operative on the valve 27 and having other arm connected through a spindle 30 with the bucket supporting diaphragm 20 and the arrangement is such that as long as said diaphragm with the bucket are in their upper positions in the casing 19, the valve 27 remains closed. The collapse of said diaphragm such as would be caused by the withdrawal of liquid and the falling of the filled bucket results in the unseating of the valve 27.

Vi ith the above described arrangement of parts, it will be understood that the chamber (5, the lower part of casing 19 and the chamber are maintained full of water under pressure from the tire extinguishing system, supplied from the lower part of the alarm valve 1. If by reason of ordinary variations of the pressure of the water in the system, or by reason of water hammer, the clapper 2 of the alarm valve should be temporarily unseated or caused to chatter, water would be admitted to the pipe 5 and might be present in such quantities that it could not all escape through the orifice 1G and drain pipe 17. It would then enter the upper part of the chamber 8 and act on the diaphragm 11, thus moving downwardly the stem and causing the valve 9 to move from its upper to its lower seated position. As soon as this occurs, the water in the chamber 6, and hence that in the casing 19, at once begins to flow through the passage 13 into the chamber 7 and out through the drain pipe 14:. If the opening of the clapper 2 is only temporary and is followed by its immediate closure, the water which has 28 29 its entered the pipe 5 and the upper part or the chamber 8 is drained away through the pipe 17, so that the spring 12 moves the valve 9 to its upper seated position. Thereupon water from the lire extinguishing system at once flows from the pipe 1 into chamher 6 and instantly relills this and the casing 19.

If, however, the clapper 2 remains unseated for a definite time, as will be the case upon the opening of one 01' more sprinkler heads of the lire extinguishing system, water under pressure as before will enter the pipe 5 and act on the diaphragm 11 to hold this in its depressed or collapsed position regardless of the water which escapes through the orifice 1G in the drain pipe. The valve 9 thereupon cuts oil the inlet of the conduit l and opens the passage 13 between the chambers 6 and 7, with the result that in a definite time the water in the lower part of the easing 19 flows out through the pipe 18 and the drain pipe After a definite amount oi this water has escaped from the casing 19, the water which fills the bucket 22 becomes effective to collapse the diaphragm 20, thus, through the spindle 30, lever 28 and spindle 29, unseating the valve 27. As a consequence of this operation of said valve by the water compressed by said bucket and its associated parts, water is free to pass from the pipe 4 and chamber 2% through the opening 26 into the chamber 23 and thence through the pipe 25 to the mechanical or other alarm device connected thereto. The resulting operation of this device thus gives notice of the opening oi"? the alarm valve and said device is continued in operation as long as the alarm valve clapper 2 remains open. When said clapper is closed, the resulting cutting oil of the water supply through the pipe 5 permits the water in the latter and in the upper part of the chamber 8 to How away, whereupon the spring 12 raises the valve 9 to close the passage 13 and open the inlet from the supply pipe lalVater from the lire extinguishing system then again fills the chamber 6 and likewise fills the chamber 19, causing the diaphragm 20 to be forced upwardly and raising the bucket 22 to its upper or normal position. The valve 27 is thus permitted to seat, so that no further water is delivered to the alarm device or devices connected to the pipe 25. The water which is then present in said pipe and in the chainber 23 is now drained oil through a valveseated passage formed in a bushing 31 through which the spindle passes and then enters the upper part of the casing 19 above the diaphragm 20, from whence it flows into the drain pipe 1%. Said spindle 30 is preferably formed to include or carry a valve 32 which closes this opening 31 when the valve 27 is unseated so that there is'no leakage of water from the chamber 23 to the lltl li t

remiss? 19 before the alarm devices are actuated; is

constant and in no way dependent upon or effected by; he pressure of water in the fire extinguishing system.- Consequently the oscilla-tion or chattering ofthei clapper 2 of the alarm valve, which has hitherto frequently resulted in operation of the alarm device,

with my above described arrangement of parts cannot cause a false alarm. While such chattering or oscillation will permit water to begin to drain out of the casing 19, said casing is instantly refilled with water each time the clapper closes, so that the latter must remain open for a definite time to allow such an escape of water from the casing 19 as will cause operation of the alarm device.

It will further-be appreciated from the above description that in addition to preventing false alarms, my apparatus is highly reliable, since operation of the controller causes the alarm device to be actuated by liquid under the full pressure of thefire eX- tinguisher system.

WhileI have illustrated the valve 27 con trolling the operation of the alarm device in the present instance connected to the drain pipe 25, it is to be understood that any other suitable device or mechanism may be mounted to be operated by the movable wall comprised by the diaphragm 20 in place of this valve and without departing from my invention. It is to be understood that by the term valve controlling the flow of fluid to an alarm device, I refer to and desire to includeany means for causing an alarm to be actuated by fluid.

r I claim:

1. The combination with an alarm valve of valve governing flow of liquid to an alarm device; a motor for actuating said governing valve; and a device actuated by liquid under pressure from the alarm valve connected to cause discharge of liquid from the motor and operation thereof when the alarm valve opens; said device normally maintaining liquid under pressure 'in said motor. I v

2. The combination with an alarm valve of a valve governing flow of liquid toan alarm device; a relay device controlled by thealarm valve; and a motor including an element for actuating the governing valve, normally held inoperative by water under pressure. V

3. The combination with an alarm valve of a valve governing the flow of liquid to an alarm device; a motor for actuating said governing valve including an actuating element normally 'he'ld'inoperativeby water under p'r'essiire'; with a' relay" device controlled byth'e alarm valve forgoverning the admissi'on of water 'to and its exhaust from said element. 4 e r 4. The combination of' analarmivalve; a valve. governing flowof' liquidto an alarm device; and meansop eratively independent Off the 7 pressure of liquid in the [alarm valve for causing opening of said governing valve alarm valve opens.

5. The combination of an alarm valve; a valve governing flow of liquid to an alarm device; a casing having a movable wall operatively connected to said governing valve; and a device controlled by liquid from the alarm valve for governing the delivery of liquid to and its exhaust from said casing.

6. The combination of an alarm valve; a valve governing flow of fluid to an alarm device; a casing having a movable wall operatively connected to said governing valve and normally filled with water under pressure; with a device controlled by the alarm in a de fini te'and constar'it time "afterft'lie valve for causing discharge of water from the casing and a movement of the wall there of when. saidalarm valve opens.

7. The combination of an alarm valve; a valve controlling the flow of fluid under pressureto an alarm device; a casing having a container therein operatively connected to said governing valve; and valve mechanism controlled by the alarm valve for permitting discharge of liquid from the casing and operation of the governing valve by said container when the alarm valve opens.

8. The combination of an alarm valve; a valve controlling the flow of fluid under pressure to an alarm device; a casing having a container thereinv operatively connected to said governing valve; and valve mechanism int;

controlled by the alarm valve for permitting discharge of liquid from the casing and operation of the governing valve by said container when the alarm valve opens; said valve mechanism including a connection for normally supplying water under'pressure to said casing.

9. The combination with an alarm valve of a casing having a diaphragm; means for supplying liquid from the alarm valve to the casing when said valve opens; a second casing having a movable wall; a valve connected to the diaphragm and controlling the delivery of liquid to and its discharge from said second casing; a container hung from said movable wall; and an alarm controlling means operatively connected to the movable wall.

10. The combination of an alarm valve; a controller casing; aconduit connecting said casing and the alarm valve for delivering lllv said casing respectively connected to a drain and to a source of water under pressure; a diaphragm in the casing; a valve operatively connected to the diaphragm for controlling the flow of liquid between said chambers and the admission of liquid to one of them; a second casing connected to said latter chamber and including a movable Wall; an alarm controlling device operatively connected to said movable wall; an alarm actuating-motor comprising a casing having a movable Wall; a container suspended from said movable wall; with means for supplying liquid to and permitting it to exhaust from said casing to cause actuation of said movable Wall.

11. A motor for alarm mechanism consisting of a casing a diaphragm extending across the upper portion of said casing; a container suspended from the diaphragm: and a conduit connected to the lower part of the casing for supplying liquid to and exhausting it from the same.

ARTHUR G. ROVVLEY. 

